It’s fair to say that Artificial Intelligence has quickly moved from being a buzzword to a business essential. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast or still coming to grips with what AI actually is (no judgment here!), AI is transforming how we operate, communicate, create, and connect, with new innovations popping up constantly – the latest being the hotly anticipated Apple Intelligence, available shortly in the UK.
Will this be the next big leap in AI?
But before we get to what’s next (and we will!), it’s perhaps worth exploring what’s available now that can quickly boost your marketing activity.
When we say “AI”, one of the first things that probably comes to mind these days is Chat GPT. If you’ve ever struggled to find the perfect words for an email campaign or agonised over the tone of a social post? AI can offer a great starting point. By analysing the tone and structure of your existing content or brand guidelines, AI tools can help you draft messages that (theoretically) feel just right. Whether you’re aiming for quirky, serious, or somewhere in between, AI can suggest communications that align with your brand’s voice and personality.
However, fully generated AI text from a standard Chat GPT account does tend to scream that it’s auto-generated, so it’s useful to remember it can be a 2-way dialogue. A creative partner to ‘bounce off’.
AI can also help ensure consistency across multiple platforms. If your business has struggled with maintaining a coherent voice across different channels, AI-driven solutions can help keep everything aligned. It is worth considering writing a custom Chat GPT Prompt into your brand assets.
The role of AI in digital marketing has expanded rapidly, making it a powerful tool for almost every aspect of your strategy.
- Smarter ad targeting: AI in Google Adwords can analyse customer data to predict behaviours, preferences, and purchase intent, making it easier to create highly targeted ad campaigns that reach the right people at the right time. It’s like having a digital marketing assistant that is constantly learning your audience and how best to reach them.
- Personalised content recommendations: From product suggestions based on past purchases to tailoring blog content to individual interests, AI can help you serve up the content that your audience actually wants to see, boosting engagement and, ultimately, conversions. When combined with automated marketing tools, this area can help SMEs make the most of their marketing budget by being incredibly targeted in their messaging.
- Campaign performance analysis: We help clients understand the plethora of analytics data available on their campaigns. AI can help track campaigns in real time, highlighting what’s working (and what’s not) so you or your marketing agency can adjust your strategy as needed. You’ll be able to spot trends, optimise your budget, and even forecast future performance with a level of precision that’s hard to achieve manually.
- Automating routine tasks: From scheduling social posts to managing email campaigns, AI-powered tools can take care of repetitive tasks, leaving you or your marketing team to focus on strategy and creativity.
Not only can AI create content with the right tone, but it can also read the tone of what’s already out there. AI tools can analyse social media posts, customer reviews, or even competitors’ content to identify the underlying sentiment. Is the vibe positive, frustrated, or maybe just a bit sarcastic? Knowing this can be invaluable for tailoring your own response or strategy.
Quickly gauging how customers feel about your latest campaign or a recent product launch can also save you significant overspend on campaigns. AI sentiment analysis tools can provide a snapshot of public perception, allowing you to adapt your messaging in a responsive way. Brandwatch, Sprout Social, Hootsuite Insights, and Lexalytics are a small selection of the numerous tools available for this.
As wonderful as AI is, it’s not without faults, especially when it comes to intellectual property. If your business is using AI to create content, it’s worth asking who owns that content. AI models like those developed by OpenAI are trained on vast datasets, often pulling from publicly available information. This raises questions about ownership: if the AI generates an idea, phrase, or even a whole piece of content, does it belong to you, the AI provider, or someone else entirely?
We’re definitely not legal experts, but the good news is that many AI providers, including OpenAI, have started addressing these concerns by offering clear licensing terms for business users. Better to be informed and ensure that your business has the proper agreements in place than to invest time and resources into AI-generated content only to find out you’re not the rightful owner.
AI is an incredibly powerful tool that, when used effectively, can revolutionise how businesses communicate and even create. From chatbots and marketing content to digital campaigns and sentiment analysis, AI is helping companies do more with less and making things simpler, quicker, and more efficient.
Whether you’re just getting started or already diving headfirst into the world of AI, we recommend approaching with an open mind but using it sparingly and always checking results. AI is great for doing some of the heavy lifting and keeping your focus on what really matters: building relationships, enhancing your brand, and driving growth, but it should not replace genuine creativity.
AI might be clever, but (so far) it still needs a human touch.
Apple (obviously) has a reputation for transforming how we engage with technology, so it’s no surprise that their move into AI has sparked excitement. Their focus has always been on creating user-friendly, intuitive experiences and devices that have moved out of the simply functional to become essential parts of daily life. Their guiding principle of ‘not first – but best’ has held true across so many applications – phones, music, watches. If Apple applies the same approach to AI, we could be looking at something that feels not just ‘clever’, but completely integrated into how we live and work.
What could make Apple Intelligence stand out is its potential to reimagine the AI experience. Imagine Siri stepping up its game to become more than just a voice assistant, offering personalised, context-aware support that truly feels helpful. Or imagine your devices learning your habits so well that they anticipate your needs. Apple has always excelled at creating technology that feels natural, and that might just be the key to making AI feel less like a futuristic tool and more like an everyday ally.
While it remains to be seen whether Apple Intelligence will truly revolutionise the AI space, one thing is clear: when Apple enters a new arena, it will bring a level of polish and accessibility that few can match. This could be the start of AI that doesn’t just impress us with its capabilities but becomes something we rely on without even thinking about it. Whether it’s a game-changer or not, whether it’s scary or exciting, Apple Intelligence is definitely worth watching.
Here comes the sales bit – If you’d like a chat about how AI could integrate into your business or your marketing strategy, give us a call!
